Aura and Light
by Ketchum Kid
Summary: A mysterious man and his strange creatures appear on File Island. When one of the Digidestined stumbles upon them, she gets dragged to where the man came from...and into the path of a traveling trainer. Now it is up to the two of them to find a way back to the Digital World, and stop the man from carrying out a master plan that the trainer had stopped once before... Hikarishipping
1. Shadows of War

_Yes, yes, argue with me that I'm starting too many stories. This, however, is a personal project of mine (and, if you've looked at my profile, a really long time coming). Back, oh, let's see…three years now? Anyway, I stumbled upon a fanfiction called **Pokemon and Digimon: Clash Worlds **by **Pete the Rock**. It was the first fanfic I had ever read, and got me on the path towards my eventual authorship here. However, while I did like the story, a few parts always bothered me, especially in its sequel. "Why did/didn't X happen to Y, so that Z occurred? Y should have had W happen to him/her, and then be kidnapped by V…" and so on and so forth. Over the years, the idea has fermented inside my mind, and up formed a three-story trilogy, much like **Deliverance from Evil**, only shorter in length. A mini-DfE, if you will._

_The first story you may see several parallels to Pete's work of six years. The only reason for that is because of how my work plays out. Taking a few of the ideas in the story, I added them to the bulk of my original plot devices, creating a fic that may bear about 10% resemblance to Clash Worlds, but with 90% original, pure, bona fide Ketchum Kid storyline tracking. Actually, take off a few percentage points of that figure. It's about 85% original, 5-10% inspired by Clash Worlds, and 5-10% inspired by DfE. That seems about right, I think…_

_Well, enough of me ranting. You guys are here for the story, right? So look down, and enjoy the first chapter!_

* * *

**Aura and Light**

**A Pokemon/Digimon Crossover**

**Chapter 1: Shadows of War**

The Digital Forest on File Island was about as dark and creepy as any forest at night. Never mind that they happened to be only a stone's throw away from Primary Village, or that they were on a search and rescue mission for one of their own; after being on The Haunted Mansion during her date in Tokyo Disneyland earlier that day, she was not yet ready to go into another creepy area.

That was the feeling going through the brain of Yolei Inoue at the present moment. She was with Davis and TK, on one end of Primary Village. Tai, Matt, and Sora were on the opposite side of the village, with Izzy and Joe forming a perpendicular tandem with Ken and Cody. They had been searching the area for the last few minutes, following a distress call from the one Digidestined who had happened to be answering a distress call herself.

"Ooh…thish place ish giving me the creepsh alright…" At least Veemon agreed with her. "You shure that we haven't looked thish way before, Davish?" The goggle-head in question groaned.

"For the fourth time, Veemon, yes! We can't give up on Kari that easily! We'll search every corner of the Digital Forest for her!" TK sighed.

"Actually, Veemon's right on this one, Davis," the blonde-haired boy corrected. "This is where we started our search area; look, you can see Primary Village through the trees." Davis growled. He knew that TK had been right, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Butt out of this, PK!" he snapped. "This is a matter between a man and his Digimon." Yolei slapped her forehead in frustration.

"Davis, you're doing it again," she muttered. "When can you ever pronounce his name right?" The red-haired teen in the flame leather jacket jerked his head away from her.

"Yolei, you have no way to comprehend what goes on when two men go after the same girl."

"Since when have I ever said that I was after her?" TK wondered. This set Davis off of his horse.

"Never after her? You two are practically joined to the hip, that's how close you two are! I'd pay an arm or a leg to get in that position with Kari!"

"WILL YOU SHUT UP?-!" Yolei boomed. The purplette moved closer to Davis and yanked his ear to the ground. "Your obsession over Kari is duly noted, thank you! But she's a big girl; she has Gatomon by her side, so she should be able to hold out until we find her. Until then, let my ears be on the lookout for trouble, not for your ranting!"

"OW! OW! Lemmie go, Yolei!" Veemon suddenly noticed something.

"Look! Patamon and Hawkmon are back!" Sure enough, the blue imp had spotted the two Digimon descending from the sky. The worried expressions on the two Digimon's faces told them that they wouldn't want to hear what they had found.

"Hawkmon, what's wrong?" Yolei asked. "You didn't see her?" The miniature hawk shook his head.

"No," he reported.

"But we did find these strange Digimon in the area!" the other Digimon, Patamon, exclaimed.

"Huh?" TK was confused. "What do you mean, 'strange Digimon'?"

"Just as I said it TK," the small winged piglet remarked, "strange. They didn't communicate with us when we tried to talk to them, even though they seemed to understand us."

"They are like nothing I ever saw before," Hawkmon added. "There was a black, fire-breathing one with horns on its head, and another that shot ice from its mouth and had really sharp claws."

"Wait, so you were attacked by them?" Davis asked.

"Yes," Hawkmon nodded. "I don't think it's a good idea to remain split up with those things around. We may be in danger, along with all of Primary Village!" The three DigiDestined looked at each other, concerned. The rescue mission now was beginning to look as if it was spiraling out of control.

"We still can't give up on Kari and Gatomon, though," Davis said firmly. "They're in danger as much as we are. Patamon, Hawkmon, go out one more time to try and find the two of them."

"But what about those weird Digimon?" Yolei asked.

"We won't engage with them," TK decided. "I agree with Davis. Those Digimon are making it all the more urgent to find her." Yolei was shocked. TK…is agreeing with Davis?

"Wa - ! But…ooh, fine!" she groaned, defeated. She turned back to Hawkmon "Hawkmon, be careful, alright?" The little hawk Digimon saluted his partner.

"Righty-oh!"

"You be careful too, Patamon," TK added.

"Of course!" the piglet replied. "We'll be alright."

"Good luck, guysh," Veemon said. The two Digimon took back to the air, and returned into the thickness of the forest.

"Let's get in touch with Matt and the others," TK suggested. "They're going to need to see this." Davis held up his D-3 Digivice.

"I was already thinking of that, TP."

"It's TK!" Yolei snapped, her frustration instantly back.

"Forget it, Yolei," Veemon groaned. "It'sh never going to shink into him."

* * *

Hiding behind a tree, Kari and Gatomon peered around. The two Digimon were still there, trying to sniff the tandem out. One of the creatures was a black dog, with a red-furred snout, black skeleton-like humps on its back, and a pair of ivory, ram-like horns on its head. The other was black as well, standing on two legs and boasting a rather large set of claws. Its red crest, ears, and tail would suggest fire, but it, in fact, had ice-attribute attacks.

"Are those two ever going to quit?" Gatomon muttered.

"Dunno," Kari speculated quietly. "They seem to be the types that are good at tracking. The brunette sighed. "I should have never taken on that rescue alone. We should have waited for backup." The white cat Digimon placed a paw on her partner.

"It wasn't your fault," she stated. "Everyone else was busy, and Elecmon seemed to be in a real panic. It wasn't like we could ignore the distress signal."

"You're right…" Kari looked back at the two Digimon, who seemed to be communicating with each other…except they weren't really talking like other Digimon. "It looks like they haven't found us yet."

"That's what they seem to be arguing about," Gatomon translated.

"Huh? You're actually able to understand them?" The cat Digimon looked quizzically at Kari.

"You can't hear what they're saying?"

"I can, but it sounds like they're just saying the same thing over and over..."

"Weird…besides that, let's use this time to contact the others on our location."

"Right." A small river happened to be behind the two. Kari had taken out her Digivice, and was about to type, when some rather loud bubbles floated up to the surface.

"Huh?" Before Gatomon could say anything else, a Digimon suddenly shot out of the water. To be precise, it stuck its neck out0, for the creature was a massive blue and cream colored sea serpent. It had a pair of white fins jutting out near its face (along with several others along the top of its body and tail), a pair of blue whiskers on either side of its face, and had a forever angry expression on its face.

"GYARRR!"

"EYAAAH!" Kari shrieked. "WHAT IS THAT THING?-!"

"DON'T KNOW!" Gatomon exclaimed. "JUST RUN!" The two made break for it down the river, the giant sea serpent in pursuit. Their screams also alerted the other two Digimon, who joined in hot pursuit.

* * *

The serpent's roar, meanwhile, had carried on for a sizeable distance through the forest.

"What was that?" Patamon wondered.

"I don't know," Hawkmon replied. "But whatever it is, it's angry."

"Do you think Gatomon and Kari could be near it," the piglet asked, a worried expression forming on his face.

"I hope not, but it may be the best hunch we've had all night. Let's just hope it's wrong."

* * *

For about a minute, Kari and Gatomon continued their frantic run along the river, their three pursuers in tow. They rounded a bend in the river, where the path formed a steep valley, and had to screech to a halt. There, blocking the route ahead, was an older man. Finding an adult in a Digital World was unusual in itself, but what made it more peculiar was his clothing. Black rippled pants, black rippled long-sleeved shirt, a silver vest with black bands near the bottom, a curious letter G…it looked as if he was from outer space. To top it all off, his hair was blue…not dyed like Mimi or Yolei did to their hair. He had natural blue hair.

"Well," the man said. "I was wondering why my Gyarados was acting strange." He talked with nearly no emotion in his voice. As he spoke, the sea serpent pulled up alongside. The dog came running down the path from which they had been running, and the other Digimon took up a post on top of the cliff. Kari and Gatomon were now trapped.

"Who are you?" Kari demanded, holding up her Digivice. "Are you the one who was terrorizing Elecmon and Primary Village?" The man seemed to chuckle.

"I never imagined I was going to meet one of these famous 'Digidestined' so soon," the man continued, ignoring Kari's question. "I must say, it is fascinating, this Digital World is. It will be a great place to renew my operations, once I get ahold of my subordinates again."

"How are you here?" Kari asked. "Adults weren't given Digivices, let alone four Digimon!"

"I'm afraid that you are mistaken, miss," the man corrected. "I have no Digimon at all." This shocked the pair.

"N-No Digimon?" Kari stammered. Gatomon wasn't convinced.

"Yeah, and I'm a Labrador Retriever," she said dryly. "Kari, Digivolve me into Angewomon! If he's not going to give us a straight answer, then I will give him one!"

"Okay!" Kari prepared the Digivice for Digivolution. The man frowned.

"Weavile, Night Slash!" The creature on the cliff pushed itself off of the cliff. Its right claw emitted a dark aura, before the creature slashed Gatomon. Kari,, who was just about to activate the Digivolution, could only watch in horror as her partner was slashed hard enough to knock her into the water…if that Gyarados creature hadn't slapped her out with its tail, sending the cat Digimon into a face plant with the cliff side.

"Gatomon!" Kari went over to Gatomon, cradling her in her arms. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…" the Digimon said. "…but I don't think I have the strength to Digivolve after that hit…"

"I was expecting to get a bit more out of you Digidestined, given the reputation I keep hearing about you kids," the man stated. "You lot managed to defeat not one, but several threats to this Digital World. It reminds me of how I was taken down, underestimating that brat and his friends…but no more. This time, I will have my victory! And to do that I will eliminate you Digidestined, one by one!"

The man snapped his fingers, and began to step backwards. Suddenly, in the ground between the two humans, a dark black portal formed. The edge of the portal crept up towards Kari's feet, and the Digidestined had to step backwards to avoid falling into it. But that wasn't the end of the torment.

As Kari was looking at the portal, two red eyes pierced through the dark abyss. The eyes grew larger, and began to rise out of the portal. The creature was otherwise bathed in darkness, indistinguishable in color or shape. It suddenly spread out a pair of dark wings, each with six, blood-red claws. A strange black substance dripped off of the wings, polluting the ground and water that it touched. Even the Gyarados, fearsome as it was, moved away from the creature, unable to compare in its presense.

Kari was horrified at the sight of this creature. "W-W-W-What is that?-!"

"The keystone of my success, and the instrument of your demise." The man swung his right arm out towards the two. "Giratina! Send these two to our world, where they shall do no more harm to my plans!"

"GIYOOOO!" The wings reared back, before lunging and snatching Kari and Gatomon off of the ground. The Digidestined couldn't even scream, yet alone struggle, as the dark matter on the creature's wings seemed to suffocate her. The creature then receded back into the dark portal, dragging Kari and Gatomon with it. The portal closed, and silence fell in the forest once again.

The man grinned. "Excellent."

"Hou?" The dog suddenly jerked its head up towards the cliff. "HOWU!" It proceeded to unleash a torrent of flames from its mouth, burning a bush near the top of the cliff…and scattering its hidden occupants.

"They spotted us!" Patamon exclaimed.

"I think now would be a good time to run!" Hawkmon suggested. The two Digimon began their retreat into the forest. Weavile was about to jump up the cliff to capture them, but the man held his arm out to stop them.

"Let them be," he ordered. "They are of no importance for now. It might be for the best to have them find out about us anyway." He chuckled. "After all, with one of them gone, the others will become demoralized, and soon they will all fall." He turned, and walked back down the river valley. "Gyarados, Weavile, Houndoom, come. It is time to retire for the night. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for the Digital World, one that sees me rewriting it with me as its God!" His companions followed, and they disappeared around the bend in the river. The only trace of an event happening that were left were a few nicks in the cliff, and the inky substance that remained on the path where a terrifying creature had appeared moments ago.

* * *

_So Kari and Gatomon appear to be in serious trouble now. To what place are they headed? How will the other Digidestined react? And what is the mysterious man's next move? You'll have to tune in next time to find out, so read, review, and tell me how I'm doing! You can always find the latest news on this story and all of my stories at my forum, which I can be found on my profile page. Ja ne, everybody!_

_Ketchum Kid_


	2. The Adventure of My Dreams

_Welcome back to the second chapter of _**Aura and Light**_! In order to continue, one must go back; chapter two starts earlier the same day as chapter one. However, we're no longer on the Digital World, and we aren't in the point of view of Kari or the Digimon. No, we're in another world of monsters now…Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Adventure of My Dreams**

In the grand world of Pokemon, trainers meet and part with each other on a daily basis. Most of the time, they have a friendly battle, exchange a handshake, and that's it. Sometimes, the same trainers seem to keep meeting up with enough frequency, checking each other's progress as a friend or a rival. Then there are the rare few, those who team up on their journeys, helping each other attain their goals for a long time. It is the partings between these trainers that create the most tearful partings.

In the fork of one of the Kanto Region's many paths and routes, one such pair was being broken up.

"You know what this means, Ash," the tall, tan teen spoke. "Pewter City's to the right. Pallet Town's to the left." The shorter, raven-haired boy with a Pikachu on his right shoulder nodded.

"Right. This is the end of our travels, Brock."

"Don't mean it that harshly," the tan teen said. "It's not the end, only a split in the road."

"Yeah," Ash stated, "But aside from Pikachu, you've always been the one constant in my travels. You've always been the one with the knowledge about every place and every Pokemon we've encountered."

"And what a journey it's been," Brock reflected. "We've been to Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, meeting all kinds of people and Pokemon."

"We shared our memories with Misty, May, Max, and now Dawn…"

"Along with all of your rivals. Remember when it was just Gary? Now you have Barry and Paul on your heels as well. Not that you didn't set the bar high, of course. Especially with the highest finish of any trainer from Pallet Town in the Indigo League in 25 years." Ash nodded.

"Then onto sweeping Drake in the Orange Islands –"

"Don't remind me…"

"– Top Eighth in Johto and Hoenn, a tour of the Battle Frontier, and finally, making an appearance in the Sinnoh Semi-Finals." Brock frowned at the mention of the Sinnoh Conference.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that, Ash. That was the first time you were, for lack of a better term, creamed by an opponent in any of the competition battles. You did managed to be the only person in the entire tournament to knock out any of Tobais's Pokemon, but it still was a tough pill for anyone to swallow. Recently, I've been seeing you be a bit depressed, not that you wouldn't, but – "

"To cut the point, you're wondering if I feel that I'm not good enough?" Brock was surprised.

"Wow, Ash. Didn't think you'd cut me off at all."

"I had a feeling that you were going to say something like that, especially with what's been going on through my head in the last few days. It isn't the battle, it's something more…"

"Something more? Like what?"

"For the last few nights, after the Sinnoh League, I've been experiencing these strange dreams. In each of them, I see this cloaked man. He appears to be speaking to me, but I can never hear what he's saying. However, with each passing night, I'm beginning to hear bits and pieces of what he's saying...nothing to make a coherent message, but enough that it makes me scratch my head."

"Do you remember anything that the man said?"

"Only words, like 'prophecy' or 'needed' and such." Brock thought about it.

"Do you think it might have anything to do with your status as the Chosen One or your aura powers?" he suggested.

"Maybe…" Brock placed a hand on Ash's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it too much, Ash," the breeder said. "I don't want to have to hear that you got knocked out of your latest Pokemon tournament all because you were fretting too much over a simple dream."

"No way!" Ash exclaimed, his confidence welling up. "Just watch me, Brock! While you're studying to be a Pokemon Doctor, I'll be one step closer to becoming a Pokemon Master!"

"Pika-Chu Pi!" Pikachu stated. Brock could only smile.

"I'll hold you to it, Ash," he promised. The two shook hands one last time. "Tell Professor Oak and your Mom I said hi, okay?"

"Will do. Good luck to becoming a Pokemon Doctor, Brock!"

"And always have good travels and even greater friends on your path to becoming a Pokemon Master. If anyone I know can do it, it's you." Finally, the two began to walk down separate paths, in differen directions from their intended destinations.

"Goodbye, Brock!" Ash called.

"Pika-Chu!"

"We'll travel again one day!" Brock stated. "I just know it!" The two friends continued waving at each other until they disappeared around the corner, and out of sight. Ash and Pikachu walked for some time. Country soon turned to city, as the two passed through the towering skyscrapers of the main hub in western Kanto, Viridian City. It was a no-stop city for the pair, as the two were burning daylight, and wanted to be home before sunset. That didn't mean that they couldn't take in the time to see the sights, however.

"It always seems like all roads pass through Viridan City, don't they, Pikachu?"

"Pika, Pikachu Pikapi, Pika-Pikachu."

"Yea, you're probably right. We had our first run-in with Team Rocket, began travelling with Misty, got our last badge in Kanto, and started our journey through the Battle Frontier." Ash placed his hands over his head. "Wonder what else we'll do in this city for years to come?"

"Pi?" Pikachu suddenly jumped off of Ash, and began running ahead. "Pika! Pikachu!"

"Huh? Pikachu, where are you going?" He hurried up to catch up with his partner. Some distance up ahead, the Electric Mouse Pokemon had run into another Pikachu. This one, however, had a tuff of hair on its forehead.

"Pika! Pikachu-Pi Pikachu Pi-Pi!" Ash recognized the new Pikachu.

"Hey, aren't you- ?"

"**Sparky, what's gotten into you?"** A brown haired boy ran from the other direction, apparently chasing after his Pikachu. A green and yellow color combination for his clothing, a yellow and blue hat with two red buttons, a Pikachu named Sparky…that fit the description of only one person Ash knew.

"Richie!" The other boy looked up.

"Huh? Ash?" His confused expression turned into a smile. "I see why Sparky suddenly got all excited now!" The two shook hands.

"Yeah!" Ash looked at his clothing. "I see that you're still copying the clothing that I have." That was true. Aside from color changes, an unzipped vest, and a down collar, Richie was basically wearing the same clothes Ash was.

Richie huffed. "I'll have you know that I got these threads a long while ago, probably before you were born!"

"Pi, Pikachu-Pi-Pi Pika!" Sparky replied. Then, the two broke into laughter.

"Man, it's good to see you again, Ash! What brings you to Kanto? In between Leagues again?"

"You guessed well, Richie," Ash remarked. "I'm heading back to Pallet Town to rest up for a bit, before heading back on the road."

"Pika Pika."

"What luck! Sparky and I were headed towards Pallet Town too! We can catch up on the way there!"

"Chaaa!"

* * *

"So you made it to the Semi-Finals in Sinnoh? That's awesome!" They were a ways out of Viridian City now, on a well-worn path between there and Pallet Town. The two trainers had been chatting for a while now, catching up on the time since the two of them last saw each other.

"Yeah." Ash lowered his head a bit. "But I got a hard lesson on where I still need to go. That Tobias trainer was tough. I couldn't even take on two of his Pokemon without –"

"No way!" Richie exclaimed. "So you're the trainer that beat two of Tobais's Pokemon!" Ash was slightly surprised.

"That made it back here?" he asked.

"Totally! It was all over the news, but I never got around to catching the trainer's name. I can't believe it could be you." He paused. "Actually, it's possible to do that, considering the tales I've heard from Professor Oak on all of the Legendary Pokemon you've met."

"Yeah. And the ones I may meet…"

"What do you mean?" Ash told him about the dream he had been having the last few nights. "Another prophecy?"

"And I thought that after the Orange Islands, I was done with all of that stuff…"

"Hey, no worries, Ash! Just focus on the here and now, and everything should be fine!"

"How can you be so carefree when I mentioned all of that stuff?" Richie grinned.

"Because, it's you! Out of all the trainers I've met, you're the best at rolling with the punches! There always seems to be a ray of bright sunlight over you!" Just then, clouds began rolling in rather quickly. Thunder boomed throughout the sky, and any ray of sunlight that was there before was gone in an instant.

The two looked up. "You weren't meaning that literally, were you?" Ash asked.

"Uh…no, not really…" A sudden downpour began to drench their clothing. "Ah! Let's find some shelter!" Luckily, there was a cave nearby. The two raced inside, comforting the dryness of their temporary site. Pikachu and Sparky hopped onto the ground, and looked outside in disdain.

"Pika…"

"Chu…"

"Man, where did this storm come from?" Ash complained. "It's like somebody created it or something!"

"I heard that there's a Pokemon that causes mischief by creating thunderstorms," Richie remembered. "Maybe it's that…"

"Regardless, it doesn't look like we are going to make any more headway today…man, I was hoping to reach Pallet Town by tonight!"

"Looks like you'll be putting up with me and Sparky then. But don't you have a sleeping bag?"

"Brock took it when he left for Pewter. Looks like I'm going to have to rough it…"

* * *

"AH!" Ash awoke with a start, sweat dripping on his arms. He panted, catching his breath.

"Pikapi?" He turned, seeing his partner awake. The Electric Mouse Pokemon looked at his trainer with a concerned face, his head tilted to the side.

"Did I wake you, Pikachu?" Ash asked, rubbing the top of his Pokemon's head. He looked outside. The rain had long since stopped, replaced by a foggy mist. The light outside was starting to get brighter, indicating that sunrise was probably an hour or so away. Turning back, he saw that neither Richie nor Sparky had awoken, as both were still sound asleep.

Ash got up, and took out a pen and piece of paper from his bag. He wrote something on the paper, and placed it near Richie, using a rock to make sure that it didn't blow away. He then put jeans on, and grabbed his six Pokeballs.

"Chu?" Pikachu wasn't sure what Ash was doing.

"Wanna join me?" the trainer asked. "I need to get a load off of my chest." Pikachu hopped up onto his trainer's shoulder, suddenly concerned about his well-being.

"Pikapi, PikaPikachu Pi PiPiPika?" Ash began to walk out of the cave, and into the forest.

"It's about the dream I had tonight..." he began. "It wasn't like any of the others I've had recently..."

* * *

"_Incredible! Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town has taken out five of his opponent's Pokemon in a row, and has not lost a single one of his to defeat! Can Ash pull a sixth victory and become the greatest Pokemon Master of all time?"_

This was a typical, good-feel dream that Ash had. One out away from becoming a Pokemon Master, he would take on the last of his opponent's Pokemon with Pikachu, and no matter which Pokemon his opponent chose, even Ground-Types, Ash would always claim victory. All of his friends and Pokemon would swarm the field, and would throw him up in the air in a victory cry…then Pikachu would shock him, and he would wake up.

Something was wrong this time, however. For one, the matches were always closer than a full-blown victory. Usually he had only one or two Pokemon left, not all six. And speaking of Pokemon, he had Charizard out on the field, not Pikachu.

In addition, is opponent was usually one of his rivals, like Gary, Paul, or Barry. He couldn't see the face of his opponent this time, though he had a feeling that he knew who it was.

"Not bad, Ash Ketchum," the opponent, a male, praised. "But here's where it ends! I call out my last Pokemon, from the depths of the Reverse World itself!"

All of a sudden, the ground shook. A black inky portal appeared, and a monstrous creature flew out. It landed on its six legs in front of Charizard, its shape familiar to Ash.

"Giratina!" The raven-haired trainer smiled. "Heh, I guess I have to face a few tough Pokemon to get to the top, but I wasn't expecting this. Charizard, Flamethrower!"

"RRRARD!" Charizard unleashed a torrent of flames at Giratina. The Pokemon didn't seem to flinch as the flames licked its body.

"It had no effect!" he exclaimed.

"Hyper Beam!" The Giratina unleashed a torrent of energy at Charizard. The Flame Pokemon was sent back to the wall of the stadium by the force of the attack, instantly knocking him out.

"Charizard!" Ash cried. He quickly returned the Pokemon into its Pokeball. "I'm not done yet!" However, as Ash sent out some of his most powerful Pokemon into battle – Torterra, Glalie, Buizel, and even Pidgeot – they quickly were mowed down by the powerful Giratina. At last, it was down to Pikachu.

"Pika! Pikachu!"

"Right, I know you can do it, buddy! Volt Tackle!" As Pikachu charged at Giratina, its body bursting in electricity, the Renegade Pokemon suddenly disappeared. Pikachu stopped his attack, and looked around in confusion…before being broadsided by the gigantic Pokemon.

"PIKAPI!" Pikachu tumbled along the ground, ending up in front of Ash.

"Pikachu!" Ash scooped up his partner. When he looked up, he saw Giratina was nearly on top of him. "What?"

"Giratina, send these two into oblivion!" Giratina roared, and shot its black wings straight at Ash.

"AAH!" The raven-haired trainer shut his eyes, and shielded Pikachu as best he could.

"**Celestial Arrow!"** Ash opened his eyes, as something rushed over his head. To his amazement, the Giratina now had an arrow sticking out of its chest. The Renegade Pokemon was screeching in pain, staggering backwards in order to regain its composure.

'_An arrow? What Pokemon used it?'_ As if to answer his thoughts, a large, angelic being moved between Ash and Giratina. The being was female, with six pure white wings, a long light purple ribbon that appeared to float around her, and long, flowing blond hair. Her face was masked by an iron helmet, and she wore a skintight white fabric that mixed skin with coverage. A white bow that was shaped like a wing was held in her right hand, explaining the arrow that was impaling the Renegade Pokemon.

Ash was stunned. "That can't be a Pokemon!"

"**Correct, Ash." **The settings around him melted away, replaced by a familiar white, cloudy space. In front of the Pokemon Trainer was the robed man. However, his hood was down, revealing that the person was middle aged, with light brown hair and eyes.

"You…you're the man that's been in my dreams the last week." The man smiled, and nodded.

"Yes. My name is Gennai, and you can say that I am a sort of guardian of the Digital World." Ash had to check his brain to make sure he had heard what the man had said.

"Uh…Digital World? What's that?"

"It's a universe created when the first computers came out on my plane of Earth," Gennai explained. "Inside it are countless digital beings called 'Digimon.' These Digimon are not unlike the Pokemon that you travel with, and many share similar traits. They even have partner humans, who work together to better each other and the Digital World." He paused, allowing the information to sink into Ash. "Judging from that blank look you're giving me, you're probably wondering how I'm even communicating with you, especially after the last week, you've been hearing nothing but fuzz and words."

"Kinda…" Ash said. "I'm sort of confused at this." Gennai furrowed his brow.

"As we all," the robed man agreed. "Last week, a man not of our world appeared in the Digital World. It was the same man you just dreamt battling you, and, like you dreamed, he had that fearsome creature you called 'Giratina.' He has since been terrorizing parts of the Digital World, destroying both its framework and its vitality. The lower level Digimon are chased out by his smaller Pokemon, and Giratina defeats all of the higher-leveled Digimon, sending them into a dark abyss that is not of either world."

"The Reverse World…" Ash muttered. "But what does this have to do with you communicating with me?"

"Each time that I've tried to communicate with you has been when the Reverse World has connected with the Digital World. I come at you tonight when an additional world is connected: yours."

"Why?" Ash wondered.

"One of the Human-Digimon teams had gone up against the man, and lost. They're now being sent over to an area not far from you." Ash's eyes widened into plates.

"What?-! Here?-!"

"The reasons for it are not known," Gennai admitted, "but they cannot be good. I must charge you with this task: bring the Digidestined and her Digimon back to her world. She is the Light of our World, and without her, we cannot hope to stop the man from whatever he is trying to accomplish." The space began to fade out, everything turning to black.

"Wait!" Ash called out. "Where do I find her? What do I look for?" The raven-haired trainer now couldn't see anything, but Gennai's voice rung out.

"Go to where the water flows towards you. I leave our world in your hands, Chosen One."

* * *

"…and that's where Gennai left, and I woke up." Ash paused. "Crazy, huh?" Pikachu shook his head.

"Pikapi, Pikachu PikaPikachu KachuPi Pikachu, PiPiPichu Pi. Pikachu Pi." Ash chuckled

"I guess you're right. We have been through the end of the world more than a few times. A little task like that is nothing we can't handle, if it was real…" Pikachu's ears suddenly ticked up. The Electric Mouse Pokemon jumped off of Ash's shoulders, and onto the ground. "Huh?"

"Pikapi! Pikachu PiPika!" Before he knew it, Ash was chasing after Pikachu through the woods. Less than a minute later, the two arrived at the base of a waterfall, the same one that he had jumped off of to temporarily escape a flock of Spearow years ago. "Pika! Pikachu!"

"Yeah, this is where we escaped the Spearow and met Misty," Ash stated. Pikachu, however, shook his head, and pointed towards the waterfall. The raven-haired trainer followed his partner's gaze, and watched as the water crashed down towards the two of them with a mighty force. "Wait…water flowing towards you…" The gears inside Ash's brain began to click into place. He slapped his face in frustration. "Man, I'm dense!"

"Pikachu Pi…Pika?"

"**HELP!"**

"Huh?" Ash turned his head towards the top of the falls. About to go over the lisp of the drop were a girl and her Pokemon. "Oh no!"

"Pika!" Ash took out one of his Pokeballs, and threw it towards the water.

"Buizel, Water Gun! Stop their fall!" The Pokeball opened with a pop, and the orange Sea Weasel Pokemon floated in the river.

"Buizel! BUI!" Buizel shot a stream of water from his mouth, towards the two falling bodies. The Water Gun slowed them down, but they still landed at the bottom with a splash. Worse, it appeared to Ash that the girl had slipped out of consciousness. Thinking nothing about what Gennai had said, he kicked his shoes off his feet.

"Come on!" he told his Pokemon. The two nodded, and all three plunged into the water. Ash went over to the girl, while Buizel and Pikachu assisted the lucid but struggling Pokemon out of the water. The girl was lighter than he had thought, so it was an easy task for Ash to grab onto her and bring her to the surface.

"PUWAH!" Ash gasped for air, and paused in his swimming, floating on the surface of the river so that he could catch his breath for a few seconds. Then, he set off for the shore, the girl's body safely in her arms. She was carefully placed on the shore, before the trainer pulled himself ashore. For a few seconds, he analyzed who exactly he had rescued. The girl had short light brown hair, and wore a now-soggy pair op pink sneakers, yellow shorts held up by a light brown belt, and a tank top that had a pink top half and a white bottom half. On her arms were pink fingerless arm gloves, going all the way past her elbows. A camera was hung on a neck strap, but Ash wasn't sure how well it interacted with the water. There was no sign of either a bag or any Pokeballs.

"Not your average trainer gear," Ash noted. By that time, Buizel and Pikachu had done their job, and the Pokemon was shaking its fur free of the water. As he turned around to congratulate the two, it took a second for Ash to realize that his Pokedex was back in the cave; the new Pokemon was nothing like he had ever seen before. Its physique was similar to small feline Pokemon such as Meowth or Glameow, but it was standing on two paws. Its other two paws were covered in yellow and orange clawed gloves, and a golden tail ring hung from the end of its long white and purple striped tail.

"Who's that Pokemon?" he wondered aloud. The bits of purple fur on the creature's ears twitched, and Ash was met with a pair of large, light blue eyes.

"I'm a Digimon," a young, feminine voice corrected. "What's this 'Pokemon' you speak of?" The voice had come from the cat. Ash was frozen, registering what he was hearing. It wasn't like this was the first time he heard a Pokemon talk; Meowth of Team Rocket had a bit of a motor mouth. However, for a Pokemon to not only speak, but also to claim to be something else was something completely new for him.

"…" The cat crossed her arms.

"I'm waiting," she stated. Ash slowly pointed a finger at her.

"You…just now…did you just talked?"

"Of course!" the cat scoffed. "All Digimon talk. You can speak with yours, can't you?" Pikachu and Buizel looked at each other.

"Pi…ka…chu?"

"Bui…?" Ash slowly shook his head.

"Uh…no…my Pokemon can't speak my language..." At that time, the cat noticed the girl behind her.

"Kari!" The creature ran over to the girl, using all four of her limbs to get over quickly. "Please, speak to me! Be all right!"

"She's out cold," Ash explained. "She's breathing, but we need to dry her off fast." The cat turned around.

"And you suggest this with what authority?" the cat questioned. "These creatures of yours remind me too much about the ones that that man used to get us into this mess in the first place!" Now Ash was lost, even more so than he was before.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "What man?"

"Don't act dumb! Are you working for that blue-haired man or are you not?-!" The mention of the man's hair color clicked something in the Pokemon trainer's mind.

'_Blue hair? She couldn't be talking about him, could she? Last we saw him, he disappeared into that portal, chasing after his crazy ambitions of creating a new world. Then again, we didn't have an idea where that portal went to, so that could support this Digimon talk the cat's saying…'_ The Digimon noticed the raven-haired trainer's expression.

"So you DO know who I'm talking about, huh?" she accused.

"That's not important right now!" Ash countered. "What's important is the safety of your friend there. My friend and I have a campsite not too far from here. We can dry her off there, and tend to any other issues, like how you got here in the first place." The cat looked back at Ash, then to her friend, and back to Ash.

"Alright," she conceded. "But no funny business, okay."

"Trust me," Ash sighed, "I've been suckered too much into such stuff to even think of pulling those kinds of tricks off." He turned to Buizel and Pikachu. "Buizel, Pikachu, go on ahead and wake Richie up. We need to get that fire started again." The two Pokemon nodded.

"Pika!"

"Bui Bui!" They turned back, towards the campsite, and headed off into the woods. Ash crouched down, and scooped up the girl in his hands, placing her unconscious body on his back. The Digimon stood right next to him.

"If we're doing this partnership, to who do Kari and Gatomon owe thanks?" she asked.

"Ash Ketchum," he replied. "So you're name's Gatomon?"

"Yep! Now no dawdling, you're the one who put urgency on this, after all."

"A little worried, are we?" Gatomon looked at the ground.

"…Yeah…" she answered.

"Me too…" The two took off, Ash in front to lead the way back. Only hours before, he had been hoping to rest before choosing to go out on his next adventure. Now, as the pieces to Gennai's story were beginning to fall into place, it seemed that his next adventure had already struck him in the face, without him even noticing it.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_For Your Information…_

_Ah, Thundurus, you provide the perfect excuse for freak thunderstorms in fanfics now._

_So now two worlds collide once more. What will Ash discover from Kari and Gatomon? How will Kari react when she wakes up in this world? And what will it all mean towards Ash's next adventure? Tune in next time to find out, so read, review, and subscribe. See you next time, everybody!_

_Ketchum Kid_


	3. The Worlds Around You

_This production of Monday Night Fanfiction is brought to you by Ketchum Kid, the world's most lazy fanfiction writer ever! Joking aside, let's get straight into the story that has been months in the making, but only took a week and a half to write. Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Worlds Around You**

It was Sparky who first heard Ash's approach back to the campsite. The Electric Mouse Pokemon's ears twitched in excitement, and his eyes popped open, as if they had been on alert all this time. Sparky looked first out of the cave, and then back at his sleeping trainer.

"Pika, Pikachu-Pi-Pika!" Sparky hopped over to Richie's sleeping bag, and began nudging his trainer with his paws. Slowly, Richie began to stir awake.

"Hnnn…what's up, Sparky…It's still early…"

"Chu! Pika-Pika!" Sparky pointed to where Ash's sleeping bag was. Seeing it empty made Richie sit up with a jolt. Before he could say anything else, Ash's Pikachu and Buizel ran straight into camp, tackling the trainer out of his sleeping bag. Buizel even sprayed water in his face to wake him up.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "What's gotten into you two? And where's Ash?" The two Pokemon pointed out into the woods.

"Pika-Pika, Pikachu-Pi-Pi!"

"Bui-Bui-Buizel!" Soon, heavy footfalls were heard through the forest.

"…Richie! Hey Richie! Wake up!" The urgency in Ash's voice caused concern for the Pokemon Trainer.

"Ash!" Richie called out, as he stood up. "What's wrong?"

"We have an emergency, that's what!" This voice was unfamiliar to him, and sounded feminine, yet not quite like Misty or any of Ash's other female friends that he knew. Soon, Ash came out of the undergrowth and fog. He wasn't alone, as he was carrying an unconscious brunette girl in his arms, and a strange white cat creature was following on all fours behind him. Ash stopped just inside the cave, and carefully placed the girl down, leaning her against the wall of the cave. He then took a few moments to rest, huffing loudly.

"Jeez, Gatomon, how much does your friend weigh?" The Digimon took offense to Ash's comments. Standing on her back legs, she placed her front paws on her hips.

"Are you calling Kari heavy?" she demanded. "Or are you just a wimp?"

"I'm saying that it wasn't easy running while carrying her, not that she should go on a diet!" Richie watched the situation in confusion. For one, Ash had just brought a complete stranger into camp. For another, he also brought only the second creature he has ever seen that has the ability to talk.

"Ash? Mind explaining what the situation is?" Ash looked up at his friend.

"She fell over the waterfall nearby," Ash explained. "We pulled her out of the river, but she's still out cold. Our camp was the closest place I could bring her."

"And that Pokemon?"

"Another story entirely, which even I'm not sure of." Gatomon was growing impatient.

"Hello? Shivering Digidestined right next to me? Needs to be warmed up now?"

"Right," Ash stated, pulling out a Pokeball. "And I have the perfect partner to help." Gatomon looked at the sphere curiously.

"What's that thing?" she asked.

"Another one of my friends. Infernape, I need you now!" Throwing the Pokeball in front of him, Ash released a large primate, which was as tall as he was. The creature had brown fur on its limbs and face, and white fur on its body, feet, and head. Flames flickered from its head, as if they were hair.

"In-Fer!"

"Cool!" Richie commended. "You caught a Chimchar while in Sinnoh?"

"Well, it was more like I was taking it off of someone else's hands…" Gatomon, however, was rather shocked.

"You keep your Digimon sealed away in these capsules?-!" she exclaimed. "That's horrible! They must be squashed inside those things!"

"Uh, for one, they're Pokemon," Richie stated. "I don't know what in the world a Digimon is…"

"The Pokeball is designed to bring comfort to the Pokemon contained inside," Ash explained. "It doesn't harm the Pokemon in any way, shape, or form. That doesn't mean all Pokemon like to travel inside of them, though."

"Pika-Pikachu," Ash's Pikachu agreed.

"Oh…" Gatomon was still unsure, but if the Pokemon did not go around attacking its own trainer, she would take his word for it. "How is he going to help Kari?"

"See for yourself. "Ash went to his belonging. Rummaging through his bag, he procured a small red computer device that flipped open. "This is a Pokedex, a portable computer that keeps information on every Pokemon." He pointed the device at Infernape, and clicked a button on the device's touch screen.

*INFERNAPE, THE FLAME POKEMON.* Gatomon jumped back, startled at the computerized female voice. *INFERNAPE IS THE EVOLVED FORM OF MONFERNO. INFERNAPE USES UNIQUE FIGHTING MOVES WITH FIRE ON ITS HANDS AND FEET. THE FIRE ON ITS HEAD NEVER GOES OUT.*

"It's like Tentomon in a box..." the cat Digimon mused.

"So you're going to use Infernape to warm the girl's body up?" Richie asked.

"Yup," Ash nodded. "Infernape, can you go hug the girl there? We need to get the water off of her body and out of her clothes."

"Fer!" Infernape walked over to where Kari was resting. Gently picking her off the ground, the Flame Pokemon brought her into a gentle hug, being careful not to hurt her. It took some time to notice the effects, but slowly but surely, Ash, Richie, and Gatomon could see the girl's hair, skin, and clothes begin to dry out.

"Well, looks like it's working," Gatomon stated. The heat generated by Infernape had another effect. Slowly, Kari's eyelids began to move, and soon slowly opened.

"Nnngh…wha…?" Looking into Infernape's muzzle wasn't the first thing the Digidestined was expecting. "Wah!" Startled by the Blaze Pokemon's appearance, Kari tried to get out of the Pokemon's grip. Infernape was surprised by the girl's sudden wake up, and let go. This caused Kari to push herself away from Infernape, but back into the wall right behind her. "Ow!"

"Hey, are you all right?" Ash asked, walking over to her. "Infernape was just trying to warm you up." Kari shook her head.

"Stay back!" she stated. "You're not going to defeat me with those…those monsters of yours!" Ash looked at Gatomon.

"Looks like you two think alike, huh?" he asked. Gatomon nodded.

"Kari, it's me!" The Digidestined looked to where Gatomon was located.

"Gatomon?"

"These two are alright," Gatomon explained. "They pulled us out of the river after we fell over the waterfall. They aren't like that man!"

"What man?" Richie wondered, turning to Ash.

"I'll tell you later," he stated. Kari looked towards Ash and Richie. She grew less tense, and began to walk over towards them. Halfway there, Gatomon beat her to it, and leapt into her partner's arms.

"Kari!" the girl exclaimed, catching Gatomon in her arms. "Are you alright?"

"I should be asking you that," the cat Digimon asked. "You nearly drowned a few times back there!"

"I'm alright." Kari looked around. "But where are we?"

"Not far outside of Pallet Town," Ash explained. "Maybe an hour or so." The Digidestined didn't recognize the name.

"Pallet Town? Is that a new settlement on File Island?"

"Where's File Island?" Richie asked.

"In the Digital World," Kari stated. "That's where we are, isn't it?" An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Ash and Richie looked at each other, unsure of what to say. "Is something wrong?" Gatomon sat down on a nearby rock.

"Kari," she meowed, "I don't think we're in the Digital World anymore."

* * *

"Look, it's Hawkmon and Patamon!" Yolei stated, pointing at the two Digimon in the air.

"Something's wrong," said a short, brown-haired boy that wore a simple tan shirt and brown pants. He was referring to how Hawkmon and Patamon seemed to have a look of panic on their faces.

"Gosh, you two!" a yellow-plated armadillo-like creature stated as Hawkmon and Patamon landed. "You look like you've just seen a ghost!"

"You would be like this too if you saw the creature that we saw, Armadillomon!" Patamon replied.

"A creature?" TK wondered. "You mean like the ones you described before?"

"Yes," Hawkmon stated, "but much bigger! As in that it was the size of Wargreymon or Imperialdraimon, but oozing some sort of miasma!"

"Yipes!" Veemon exclaimed. "Firsh we get creashures that look like dogs, and now we get schary ones that look like houshes?-! I hope that Gatomon will be okay…"

"Don't worry, Veemon!" Davis assured. "Kari would be able to get her to Digivolve into Angewomon to knock that beast right out of the sky!" He then noticed that the two Digimon suddenly looked rather melancholic. "Something wrong, you guys?"

"Well, Kari and Gatomon did run into the creature…" Hawkmon continued.

"What happened?" Yolei pressed. "What happened to Kari and Gatomon?"

"They…" Patamon had trouble saying it. "They…this man was with the creatures…" At last, Hawkmon couldn't take it anymore.

"And he ordered the creature to take Kari away, which it did through a portal in the ground!" the Digimon sobbed.

"What?-!" The news startled the group into utter shock.

"T…Taken away?-!" TK stated.

"How?-!" Davis demanded. The two Digimon were too distraught to answer. They continued to sob uncontrollably, while Davis quickly became impatient. "Come on, you guys, this is an emergency!"

"Davis, now isn't the time!" the brown-haired boy stated. "Can't you see that we have bigger concerns now?"

"Cody's right!" Armadillomon concurred. "If that big creature is roaming around, controlled by a rogue Digidestined, then it's not just File Island that's in trouble. The whole Digital World could be in danger, just like in the times of the Digital Emperor!" Davis grunted. He wanted to still look only for Kari.

"Davis, we need to have everyone get together, now more than ever," TK urged. He tried to place a hand onto his friend's shoulder, but the redhead teen brushed it off.

"I know that, TR!" he snapped. He looked around, and soon found a computer monitor, laying on the ground nearby. The redhead kicked the monitor, and it buzzed to life. "Izzy, are you there?" The picture on the monitor cleared up, revealing a well-dressed redhead teen who seemed to be sitting in a computer laboratory.

"_Calm down, Davis,"_ Izzy stated. _"What do you need?"_

"I need you to run another scan of the Digital World. We need to know where Kari and Gatomon are!" Izzy sighed, and rubbed his temples.

"_I just finished a scan that Tai had asked for fifteen minutes ago, and it said that they were on File Island still. I doubt anything has changed in that amount of time"_

"Well, something has changed!" Davis ordered. "There's something big here, and whatever it is, it took Kari and Gatomon with them!" This got Izzy's attention. His face moved closer to the monitor.

"_Something big? Like how big are you talking about?"_

"Like how big Tai will feel when he finds out we found Kari only to lose her again," Patamon stated. Davis shuddered.

"Please, don't remind me about that. How are we going to tell her big bro that we missed rescuing Kari by a few inches?"

"**You lost Kari?-!" **Davis paused, a blanched expression on his face.

"_Would it have been nice to know earlier that Tai and Matt were headed to your position?" _Izzy offered. Davis turned around slowly, to see two young adults standing not far away. One was calm and collected, while the other seemed like he was about to blow a fuse.

"Hi, Matt," TK greeted. He was referring to the calm blonde, not the brunette who was staring with a murderous intent at Davis. The younger Digidestined gulped.

"Um...h-h-hi, Tai?"

* * *

"The Pokemon World?" Kari repeated.

"Yup," Ash explained. "Pokemon are the creatures that make up the world around us. Pokemon and Humans live in symbiosis with each other, and help each other grow and develop as a whole."

"Some people live in harmony with each other, merely keeping each other company," Richie continued. "Others compete in competitions of beauty and dance in what is called Pokemon Contests. Finally, there are those who travel and fight together in contests of strength, like we do." Gatomon looked over the two Pokemon trainers.

"How do you fight together with your Pokemon?" the Digimon wondered. "You don't have a weapon or anything on you." The Pokemon World inhabitants sweatdropped.

"It's not as literal as you think," Ash corrected. "In a Pokemon battle, we send out the Pokemon into battle, and give out the commands for moves and strategies. In exchange, we have to watch out for counterattacks, and call our Pokemon off if we see that they are too hurt to go on."

"So what's the point of battling?" the Digimon asked. "Where we come from, we battle to protect our worlds, but in your world, it's for sport?"

"Not quite," Richie said. "For one, both humans and Pokemon learn about each other when they battle and train. In addition, both trainers and Pokemon strive to better themselves in order to win tournaments. Placing well in these tournaments brings people to revere the trainers and their Pokemon. The strongest of trainers help protect the land as Elites or Champions, respected by all, and focusing on a bigger goal than winning. This brings them to move closer to the ultimate trainer, one who can command respect from almost every person and Pokemon: the Pokemon Master." Richie let the last sentence hang in the air, giving the title a sacredly hallowed air to it.

"I was just returning from a tournament in the Sinnoh Region when I met you guys," Ash stated. "We placed fourth, the highest we've ever been in tournament play." The Pokemon trainer clenched his fist, smiling. "I just know that we'll win the next tournament for sure!"

"Pika-Pikachu!"

"Bui-Bui!"

"Infer!"

"Easy there, Ash," Richie laughed. "You can only go so far to becoming a Master with battling. It also means helping out those in need, like Kari and Gatomon."

"Chu-Chu-Pika," Sparky agreed.

"I haven't forgotten that," the Pallet Town native replied. "But first we need to know here we're going." He turned to Kari and Gatomon. "Now that we explained where you guys are, we need to know where you guys are from. What's this Digital World that you keep saying you are from?" Kari let go of Gatomon, allowing the Digimon to hop gently onto the floor of the cave.

"Well, as I see it, the Digital World is this place where all these amazing creatures live and play together, just like you have here with your Pokemon. However, there are no humans in the Digital World. We live in another plane called 'Earth.'"

"Earth," Ash echoed. It hadn't been the first time that he had heard that word before.

"Wait, so if you live in different existences, how do you manage to cross over into each other's worlds?" Richie asked. Kari took out what looked like a pink and white walkie-talkie. It had a small screen, a thumb switch-button, and a pair of lights to the right of the screen.

"This is a Digivice," Kari explained. "This version is called the D-3. When we hold it up to a computer monitor, it allows us to travel between our worlds, among other things. It sounds hard to believe, but trust me, it's as real as Gatomon and I."

"I wasn't going to argue that," Richie stated. "When you come from a world where creatures can control the weather and travel through time, your story isn't as far-fetched as you say it is." The Pokemon trainer looked at Ash. "I think it might be time to get going from this cave. It's getting to the point when we can get someone to help us." Ash seemed a little confused.

"We can?" Richie slapped his forehead.

"Think of it. Who is the only person in Pallet Town that would have working computers for Kari and Gatomon to try to get home, plus resources should they find themselves unable to?" Saying that jogged the Pallet Town native's memory.

"Right, of course!" Ash took out a pair of Pokeballs, and pointed them towards Buizel and Infernape. "You guys did great, now take a good rest. Return!" Bright infrared beams shot from the Pokeballs to the Pokemon. The Pokemon were converted into infrared energy, and were sucked into the Pokeballs. Seeing the two creatures disappear in front of her surprised Gatomon.

"I hope that doesn't mean that I can be placed in one of those capsules," she meowed.

"I'm not sure you can," Richie presumed. "The Pokeball targets the DNA of Pokemon and converts the creature into energy; I believe you're safe."

"Chu-Chu," Sparky agreed.

"Thank goodness," the cat Digimon sighed.

"Anyway," Ash stated, "you guys might want to come along with us. The Pokemon World is a dangerous place if you can't protect yourselves."

"Oh please," Gatomon scoffed. "I took on the biggest and baddest of Digimon back in the day. We can take care of ourselves." As if to prove her point, the cat Digimon flexed her muscles right in front of the Pokemon trainer, and made a threatening face at the Pokemon Trainers...which turned out to make her look more cute than tough. Her partner sweatdropped.

"Still, we have no idea where we are, so it would probably be for the best if we stuck around with you. You don't mind, do you?" Ash shook his head.

"Not at all! The more the merrier, that's what I say!"

"Pika-Pikachu!" the Electric Mouse Pokemon agreed. Over the conversation, Richie had been packing his equipment into his bag. He finished just as Ash and Kari shook hands to form their partnership.

"All set!" Richie declared. He swung his backpack over his shoulder, and adjusted the straps. "We're ready to go!" Kari was still unsure on where she would need to travel in order to get back home.

"Go where, though?" Ash beamed a smile.

"Pallet Town, of course!"

* * *

The path the three were walking wound its way over the hills and valleys of the windswept plains in front of them. Ash, Richie, and Kari walked in relative silence for the greater part of an hour, while Gatomon and Pikachu rested in Kari's arms. It was still early in the morning, and the fog was still not burned away completely, as the sun had yet to rise over the hilltops.

"So, why are we heading to Pallet Town?" Kari finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, I was originally heading there because it was my hometown," Ash explained. "But in light of your situation, Professor Oak should be able to give us some foresight into where we should be going."

"Professor Oak? Who's he?"

"He's the forefront researcher of Pokemon in not only the Kanto Region, but most of the Pokemon World," Richie explained. "He's been living and studying Pokemon and their behavior for over fifty years."

"Professor Oak is a family friend," Ash continued. "He helped my mom when she first came to Pallet Town, and Gary, his grandson, was my very first rival before he decided to become a Pokemon Researcher. Plus he also gave me Pikachu as my very first Pokemon."

"So if anyone can get Gatomon and I connected back to the Digital world, it would be him?" the brunette asked.

"Yup." The fog began to lift, and the pathway began to climb a hill that was steeper than most. "We're almost there! Pikachu, we're almost home!" The Electric Mouse Pokemon quickly woke up, and almost immediately became excited.

"Pika!" Pikachu jumped out of Kari's arms, and began running up the hill alongside Ash. The sudden jolt startled Gatomon awake.

"He's excited for sure" Kari giggled.

"A little too excited if you ask me," Gatomon grumbled. Richie chuckled.

"Can you blame him? It's been over half a year since he was last home. We should better catch up to them, before they go on without us." The two began to run after Ash and Pikachu, who had stopped at the top of the hill. When they caught up, Kari nearly gasped.

"Woah…" she said breathlessly. The path ahead of them wound its way down a couple more hills, before reaching a sleepy little town that was bathed in the morning sunlight. The village had several dozen houses surrounding a small town center, with a stream cutting through the center of the population center. The biggest draw, however, was near the location of the sun in the sky. There, on top of a small hill, was a large, barn-like building, with an attached windmill and house. A staircase lead down to one of the paths in the town, separated only by some bushes and an iron and brick gate.

"So this is Pallet Town?" Gatomon asked.

"Yup," Richie confirmed. "The town of Pure White Beginnings. Many trainers start their journeys here for the Kanto Pokemon League by visiting Professor Oak's Laboratory on the hill." Ash and Pikachu looked out over the town, fixing his eyes on a certain red-roofed house.

"I can't wait to tell Mom, the Professor, and Tracey about all my adventures in the Sinnoh Region!" he stated excitedly. He then looked at Kari and Gatomon, who at the moment had no way to go back to their homes. "As well as the adventures still to come…"

* * *

_With Ash, Richie, and Kari in Pallet Town, can they find a way for the Digidestined to travel back to her worlds? What will the Digidestined do to conduct their own search for Kari? You'll have to wait for chapter four to come out, so in the meantime, read, review, and subscribe; and support my other fanfictions too. Ja ne, everyone!_

_Ketchum Kid_


	4. A Pallet of Mixed Developments

_A little long overdue, but here is Chapter 4! Alongside DfE, I'm giving this story priority in updates, because I actually want to finish things in a timely manner for once. This would have been actually up sooner, but editing got put off for a bit because of summer classes and E3 announcements of Sony and NintenMEGAMANOMGSMASHISGOINGTOBEAWESOME!-!-!-!-!-! -!_

_Ahem….Hope you all enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter 4: A Pallet of Mixed Developments**

It was not every day that her son came home from his Pokemon Journey. Moreso is it harder to find time with her son, a three-time Pokemon League finalist with one League Championship and a Frontier Challenge under his belt. It is one adventure after another for her son. No sooner is he home, than he hears of another challenge and goes off on his own.

So when Delia Ketchum did not have her son come home the night he was supposed to, even if the weather was bad, she became rather anxious about his safety.

"Oh, I hope he's alright," Delia said. She scrambled from one end of the house to the other, getting everything ready. A big welcome home feast was reprepared (Tracey and Professor Oak helped down the original banquet), the rugs and furniture were dusted and vaccumed, and a new change of clothing was placed on Ash's bed (complete with six new pairs of underwear). It was enough to bewilder her friend and helper, Mr. Mime, a humanoid Pokemon of pink and white complexion.

"Mime…" the Barrier Pokemon gawked in amazement.

"No time to rest, Mr. Mime!" shouted Delia from upstairs, as she hurried back downstairs. "I need you to water the garden for me while I get everything ready. After you're done, help me with the vacuum, okay?"

"Mime Mr. Mime!" the Pokemon nodded, and went away to fetch the watering pail. Delia, meanwhile, went back into the kitchen, and went to take an apple pie out of the oven. She reached in, forgetting her oven mitts, and nearly burnt her hands in the process.

"Ow! Better get the mitts for this…" Her constant worry for her son has taken its toll on her. Delia was a fairly young woman, yet at the moment, she had the appearance of someone well older than her. Her light brown hair was slightly ragged, her pink and yellow tops were dusty and dirty, and now her hands had burn marks on them. Still, however, she had a smile on her face, thinking about her son.

"I hope he comes soon…I can't wait to hear about his adventures in Sinnoh, and see his new Pokemon that he's caught. It's been a long time since he's come home…I do wish that he could stay a bit longer this time. I never get to see him that much anymore." As she was placing the pie on the table, the front door opened. Delia could not see who was entering from her angle.

"Mime! Mime-Mime!"

"Yes, it's good to see you too, Mr. Mime…"

"Pika-chu!" Delia stopped what she was doing. That voice was familiar to her.

"Ash?" The young mother ran from the kitchen, and into the living room, where the door was located.

"Mom!" Ash exclaimed. Delia quickly scooped her son into her arms.

"Oh, Ash! It's so good to see you home after so long! I don't know where to begin to say how much I've missed you!" Ash sweatdropped.

"It's good to see you too mom…but I'm over here." Delia looked to her right. Ash, with Pikachu on his shoulder, watched with rather surprised looks. Behind him, Ritchie and Sparky looked rather surprised at Delia.

"Wait, then who's here, if you're there?" Delia let go of who she was holding. Kari took in a breath of fresh air. Gatomon hopped off of Kari's head, and onto Ash's.

"I nearly saw half of my nine lives in there! Are everyone from Pallet Town this affectionate, you two?" Ash and Ritchie merely laughed nervously.

"Oh my," Delia stated. "A girl, and another talking Pokemon? From the Sinnoh Region?"

"I'm afraid we're not from the, um, Sinnoh Region," the Digidestined admitted.

"And I'm not a Pokemon," said Gatomon, "though I'm curious why you said I'm 'another.' Couldn't Pokemon not communicate with humans like Digimon could?"

"Most cases, yes," Ritchie stated. "But there are a few…"

"I just hope we don't run into the one Mom's talking about," sighed Ash.

"Chu…" Just then, there was another knock on the door.

"Ms. Ketchum?" a young male voice called. "I've got a package of poffins for Mr. Mime!"

"Come in, Tracey!" Delia replied. "Ash and his friends are back!" The door opened, and a young man, only a little older than Ash and Ritchie, stepped into the house. He was wearing a green t-shirt and red shorts with purple sneakers. He had a mess of green hair on his head, kept out of his eyes by a red head band.

"Welcome back, Ash!" Tracey greeted. "And Ritchie too, it's nice to see you again!"

"Same here, Tracey!" Ritchie replied.

"Mime-Mime! Mime!" Mr. Mime was staring intently at the brown bag that Tracey was holding.

"I guess you can smell the poffins in the bag, huh?" the Pokemon Watcher chuckled. "Here you go!" Giving the Barrier Pokemon the poffin bag, he noticed Kari. "I don't believe Ash has ever mentioned you during his travels through Sinnoh."

"Come to think about it, I forgot to ask your name before," Delia remembered.

"Oh, my name's Kari Kamiya. I met Ash and Ritchie while they were passing through just north of here." The brunette bowed. "Nice to meet you." Gatomon, meanwhile, was sniffing the air in the direction of the poffin bag that Mr. Mime was snacking from.

"This smells a lot like berries, but looks like a muffin," the cat Digimon commented. Tracey jumped slightly. He had noticed Gatomon earlier, but didn't expect it to talk.

"Woah!" the Pokemon Watcher exclaimed. "Not only are you a Pokemon I haven't seen before, but you can talk? Where did you catch this fella, Ash?" Gatomon rolled her eyes.

"Am I doomed to be labeled a Pokemon for however long we're stuck here?" she sighed. Kari giggled.

"Most likely," the Digidestined answered.

"You can take all the sketches you want later," Ash told Tracey. "Right now, is Professor Oak in the lab?"

"Well, yeah." Before Tracey could ask why, Ash ran out of the house. "Ash!"

"Thanks Tracey!" the Pokemon Trainer called back.

"W-Wait up!" Kari called out, and gave chase after him.

"Ritchie, what's going on?" Tracey asked.

"Well, we have a bit of a problem to solve, mainly involving Kari and Gatomon." He then ran out after the two.

"Ritchie!" Tracey sighed. "Not even home for a minute, and they're off and running."

"Yeah…" Delia sighed. She then smiled. "But if Ash wasn't like that, he wouldn't be my son, would he?"

* * *

Fortunately for the Digidestined, there was no school today, so they knew that there would be nobody that would be snooping around the computer room of their school without any notice. However, that did not cover up the fact that some of their own were missing. Tai, Matt, Izzy, Davis, TK, Yolei, and Cody sat in a circle in computer chairs. Patamon had joined the humans in their world, as well as three other Digimon. One of them looked like Veemon, only smaller and with a predominantly white face; another was a small, pink legless bird with a solitary feather standing up on its head; and the third could be best described as a meat bun with eyes, a mouth, and fluffy ears. The four Digimon were on the computer desks, their faces matching the melancholy mood of the room.

Izzy was punching away at his laptop, but was clearly frustrated by the lack of progress. "I've checked all of the Digital World at least five times now,There's not even a data fragment of Kari or Gatomon anywhere. For all intents and purposes, she's not in the Digital World."

"What of that strange monster that Patamon and I saw?" the pink bird asked.

"Only a slight trace of its presence, Poromon. I managed to save as sample of its signature, however. I'm analyzing it now, and then I'll work with Tentamon tonight over a program to tell us when the creature will appear next. If it shows up, we'll know about it."

"Still, to think that Kari and Gatomon are gone…" Yolei sighed. A tear ran down her cheek.

"Oh, Yolei, don't cry, you're going to make me cry…" Poromon sniffed. Tai abruptly stood up, his hands curled up in fists.

"Kari isn't gone!" he vehemently declared. "And neither is Gatomon. We'll keep up the search, and I'll inform the others about what's going on. Izzy, you keep scanning the Digital World for Kari." Izzy was surprised.

"But I told you we've checked in there," he protested.

"We need to find Kari before she really is gone," Tai stated.

"Okay, more work for me," the redhead grumbled, and went back to his laptop.

"In the meantime, I'll have to tell mom that Kari is staying over in the Digital World for now…hopefully she won't go snooping around once it becomes an extended time away."

"And what would you do if she did?" Davis asked, a little concerned for Tai's fiery attitude at the moment. "You can't just say that she's on an extended mission of some sorts in the Digital World or something like that. That will get them suspicious!" Tai walked over to Davis, who stood up in anticipation.

"And what am I supposed to say, Davis?" Tai retorted. "Tell Mom I lost my little sister and that I don't know how or why? Oh yeah, that will go over real well!"

"I'm all for finding out where Kari is too, mind you," Davis reminded him. "But I'd rather tell our parents the truth, and not have them snooping around if it turns out we can't find her after a week!"

"Davis, no fighting right now!" The blue creature said. Matt stepped between the two humans.

"Hey, knock it off, both of you!" the blonde ordered. DemiVeemon's right; this is no time for fighting it out! If Kari and Gatomon were able to see you now, both of them would say that you're -!"

"Prodigious!" Izzy exclaimed.

"Izzy, I don't think that was the word Matt was looking for," the white Digimon said.

"I wasn't talking about that, Upamon; take a look at this!" Everyone gathered around Izzy's laptop. "Okay, so I was just scanning my sample to see what type of code that Digimon that took Kari and Gatomon who-knows-where had. But when I began analyzing the data, I've found that there isn't any code!"

"What?!" Yolei exclaimed. "How can it not have any code? It's a Digimon, for Pete's sake!"

"I'm getting there," Izzy explained. "I had a few other analytical programs, so I decided to use one of those. Take a look at what I found." The redhead ran the program. The program zoomed in on the sample, and brought in a sub-window. The sub-window had a double helix-like structure.

"That's DNA!" TK exclaimed.

"DNWho?" asked Davis.

"Don't you ever pay attention in science, Davis?" Cody groaned. "DNA is what makes up every living thing on Earth."

"Right, so that means that what Poromon and Patamon saw was a real living being," Izzy declared.

"Hold on a minute!" Patamon interrupted. "That thing was at least 20 feet tall, had demonic, transparent hands, and could open portals by itself! There's no way that thing comes from Earth, nothing like that exists in your world!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Poromon agreed. "The biggest things here we've seen are bears and elephants, and only in the zoos!"

"Patamon and Poromon do bring up a good point," TK stated. "Dragons and the like are nothing but legends here. We only see them in the Digital World." There was a long silence.

"If it's not from the Digital World, and not from the Real World, then what world is that thing from?" DemiVeemon wondered, asking a question everybody was wondering, but nobody knew the answer to.

* * *

Gatomon came out of the scanning machine. "Please tell me that's the last of the tests." An older man, in his late sixties or early seventies, nodded.

"That's the last of them, Gatomon," he nodded, dusting off his lab coat.

"Thank goodness." She hopped off of the desk that the scanning machine was on, and walked over to the center of the lab. Kari, Ash, Ritchie, Tracey, and Delia got up off of the couches in the center of the room.

"Did you find anything, Professor Oak?" Ash asked. The researcher, who also wore a red polo and kakhi dress pants, nodded.

"I have," he said, "but it challenges every single theory about living creatures that I'm aware of." His face was stern, but seemed to be filled with excitement of his discovery.

"Tell us, Professor!" Tracey urged. Professor Oak sighed, and ran a hand through his grey hair.

"Tell me this, Tracey. Looking at Gatomon, what can you say about her?" The Pokemon watcher studied the cat Digimon for a few seconds.

"Well, Gatomon is a bipedal cat-like creature, with white and purple fur, and blue eyes."

"Correct," Professor Oak nodded. "Everything on the outside looks just like any normal creature, human, Pokemon, or otherwise. However, that's about all that's similar."

"What do you mean?" Ritchie asked.

"I did some scanning tests to see about Gatomon's internal structure, as well as some blood work to see what Pokemon Gatomon's related to closely. However, when I scanned Gatomon's body, nothing came up in any picture, and the blood work turned out to be what appears to be nanochips." Tracey and Delia gasped.

"Then what does that mean?" Delia asked.

"It means that Gatomon is made of digital codes, not bone and flesh," Professor Oak concluded.

"I could have told you that," Gatomon stated. "We Digimon aren't like humans."

"Yes, but we have created digital Pokemon before," Professor Oak explained. "And yet you are nothing like Porygon or its evolutions…" The professor paced the room. "It would be a fair conclusion to say that 'Digimon,' which is what you and Kari describe the creatures you know as, is an apt name. Much like how Pokemon, or Pocket Monsters, are named after the King of Pokelantis tried unsuccessfully to seal away the legendary bird Ho-oh in a stone capsule, Digimon is a shortened form of Digital Monsters, because they are more related to the Pokedex than Pokemon themselves."

"And yet we can interact with them just like they were you or me," Kari added.

"Precisely," applauded Professor Oak. "If this was brought to my colleagues, Gatomon would be considered a revolutionary discovery!" He paused. "However, furthering my accolades is not why you two are here. You said that you were brought here by a terrifying Pokemon, correct?"

"Yes," Kari replied. "It was rather large thing that looked like it was going to drag me into the netherworld."

"That's partially true," the Pokemon Professor replied.

"Eh?"

"What do you mean, Professor?" Ash asked.

"I mean that the Pokemon that dragged Kari and Gatomon down to our world was a Pokemon of another world itself, Giratina." A chilled silence followed.

"G…Giratina?" Tracey repeated. "Are you sure, Professor?"

"There's only one real way to find out, is there?" he stated, looking at Ash.

"Right," the raven haired trainer nodded. He got out his Pokedex, and looked up Giratina. Kari and Gatomon looked over his shoulders.

*GIRATINA, THE RENEGADE POKEMON. GIRATINA IS SAID TO LIVE IN A WORLD ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF OURS, WHERE COMMON KNOWLEDGE IS DISTORTED AND STRANGE. IT APPEARS IN ANCIENT CEMETERIES.*

"T-That's what we saw alright," Kari confirmed. From her perspective, the picture of Giratina looked like it was going to jump right out at her.

"Giratina is something that isn't to be taken lightly," Professor Oak warned. "You'll need to be at your strongest if you want to be able to reason with a creature like that, let alone defeat it should worst come to worst. But that's once we find a way to get you home. Speaking of which, try one of the monitors here." Kari nodded. The brunette walked up to one of the computer monitors, and took out her D-3. Gatomon hopped onto her shoulder.

"Let's hope this works…" the Cat Digimon said. The brunette nodded. She held the D-3 in front of her, towards the monitor.

"Digiport, open!" Several seconds went by. "Digiport open!" Ash and the others waited with baited breath, hoping to see the moment when Kari returned to her world. "Digiport, open?" But no matter how she tried, Kari was unable to open a connection with the Digital World. "It's no good…"

"I didn't think it would be," Professor Oak sighed. "If this Digital World was born out of the rise of the digital age of Earth, then it would be safe to assume that the Pokemon World wouldn't have any connection to it." Kari and Gatomon sighed in defeat.

"And here I thought that I'd be home in time for lunch…" Gatomon groaned. "I could have used some candy after this hassle…"

"Tai and the others are probably very worried about us now…" Kari said, a tear running down her cheek. "I just hope we can see them again…" Ash walked over, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Kari," the Pokemon Trainer assured. "If you were able to reach us, there's got to be a way to get back to your world from here. I'm sure that we'll find it soon, trust me!"

"Pika-chu!" Kari stared at Ash for a few seconds, then began to giggle.

"Huh? Is there something on my face?"

"No," she said, smiling. "It's just that that's something Tai would say when I was down." Ash smiled, happy that he was able to cheer Kari up, even if it was just this moment.

"Anyway," Professor Oak interrupted, "it's not like our options are completely gone. Remember how the Pokedex said that Giratina appears at ancient cemeteries?"

"Yeah?" Kari confirmed.

"Well, there aren't many ancient cemeteries here in Kanto, but there is one in the Johto Region." Ash was confused.

"I don't remember there being one in Johto," Ash recalled. "Unless it's well off the beaten path."

"It's not," the Pokemon Professor assured him. "And burial sites are not simply limited to cemeteries, Ash. Many people are buried at the sites of memorials and mausoleums too."

"But if we're talking about an ancient cemetery, it would have to be very much in ruins now…" Delia said, trying to think of the place.

"That's it!" Ritchie gasped, coming to a realization.

"What's it?" Gatomon wondered.

"Ruins! After a long time, even the biggest of structures would fall into disrepair if not taken care of. And there's one set of ruins that fits the bill." Ash caught on to Ritchie's statement.

"The Ruins of Alph!" the raven haired trainer realized. Professor Oak nodded.

"Some researchers claim that the Ruins of Alph is an ancient city, while others think it was a place of worship. Regardless of which, they have found countless records of a mass burial deep in the ruins. That would be where you would want to look first for Giratina. A Pokemon that transcends dimensions and can travel through different worlds will more than be able to take you back." Kari wasn't so sure of this.

"It did appear that Giratina was under the control of someone though…" she reminded them. "It might not appear again without his say-so…"

"We've got to try," said the Professor. "Right now, Giratina's our only option of getting you back." Delia clapped her hands.

"This is all good, but why not we settle the how's and why's later?" she asked. "My apple pie isn't going to eat itself, you know." Professor Oak let a tired smile.

"I am getting a little hungry myself," he admitted. "Plus I want to hear all about your adventures Ash."

"Me too!" Tracey added. "And I do want to get a sketch of your Pokemon from Sinnoh. But first, I need one of Gatomon."

"How do you want it?" the Digimon teased. "Ready to pounce or puuurfectly waiting for you?"

"Gatomon, we're not here to do racy photo shoots," Kari said sternly.

"It was a joke, Kari," Gatomon stated. As they were leaving, Professor Oak placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, and the two hung back from the others.

"You do realize who Kari saw commanding Giratina, right Ash?" he asked. "I didn't want to say anything in front of her, but if he does have Giratina in his possession, nothing we can do will be able to get her back to her world."

"I know," Ash sighed. "I'm still in shock that he's still alive after what happened when we last saw him…"

* * *

A young woman sat silently in her prison cell at a high-security prison. Wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, the red-haired woman looked sadly down at the floor. Her hair, once shorter and styled to have the appearance of spikes, now simply fell to just below her shoulders in a semi-greasy mess.

A pair of guards walked past her cell. One of them, a younger man who was new to the job, looked at her, and turned to his co-worker. "Who is that young woman? She seems awfully young to be a felon."

"Idiot!" the other guard stated. "That's Team Galactic Commander Mars right there! She may be only in her late twenties, but she's a dangerous criminal. She was part of the plot in Sinnoh to create an entirely new world for Team Galactic to rule as they wished."

"So, she's going to spend the rest of her life here?" the young officer asked. The older officer nodded.

"It's a shame, really. Rumor has it that she only joined Team Galactic because she became infatuated with its leader."

"Goes to show how emotions can sometimes get us in trouble."

"Just wish I had learned that lesson before my third marriage." The older officer chuckled at his joke, as they rounded a corner. The younger officer then felt his pockets for something.

"Oh, drat!" The older officer turned to him.

"What's up?"

"My card key, I must have left it in the break room or something." The older guard groaned.

"Well, go back and get it! The Officer Jenny in charge here will have our heads if she finds out that someone left their ID there." The young officer turned, and hustled back the way they had come. His footsteps stopped after a few seconds. "What's up? Realize they were in your pocket all along?"

"Donovan, the prisoner Mars! She's gone!" the younger guard shouted. Surprised, the older guard ran over to where his colleague was. A third guard who was nearby and heard the commotion had already come over. Looking into the cage, the three saw an empty room, save for the bench.

"Mercy me…" the older guard muttered. "How the hell could she have escaped? This is an interior room for Arceus's sake! The only way out is by opening the cell doors, and we would have heard them open!"

"There's no time to be wondering that!" the third guard stated. "You two head to Officer Jenny's office, while I inform the International Police that there's a dangerous criminal on the loose!" The officers split up, but the younger officer paused, taking a quick look at the cell floor before following his partner. It was hard to see in the dark cell confines, but he swore that there was some sort of dark substance on the ground.

* * *

A few hours and a good meal later, Ash, Kari, and Ritchie were ready to get going. Outside of the Ketchum residence, they conversed with the others before the left Pallet Town.

"Can't you at least stay the night, Ash?" asked Delia. "You only just got into town today." Ash shook his head.

"Kari has family that's waiting for her in her home," the Pokemon Trainer reminder her. "The sooner she's reunited with them, the better for all of them."

"Anyway, thanks for the meal!" Kari commended. "It was lovely having something like pie home-cooked for once." Delia beamed.

"It's my pleasure. I do hope you get home safely, Kari and Gatomon."

"We will, Mrs. Ketchum," Gatomon said.

"It was nice to be in Pallet Town again," Ritchie commented. "Hopefully next time will be for a longer time."

"Chu Chu," Sparky added.

"Be sure to drop by whenever you're next in town," Professor Oak asked. "If you're not busy, I need someone to do some travelling for me."

"Good luck, you three!" Tracey said.

"We will!" Ash promised. "Goodbye!"

"Pika Pika!"

"Bye everyone!" Kari called out.

"Thanks for all your help!" Gatomon added.

"Godspeed, all of you!" Professor Oak said. They waved back until Ash's house was out of sight.

"So," Kari asked, "Where's our routing?" Ritchie took out a map.

"The fastest route to the Ruins of Alph would be to cross Tojo Falls into New Bark Town. From there, we can go to Cherrygrove City, loop around the bay here to Violet City, and we're there."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Ash stated. "Let's go!"

"Pika!" Ash and Pikachu took off in a rush down the path.

"Ash!" Ritchie yelled out. "Wait up!"

"Don't leave us all behind!" Kari giggled.

"This is going to be some adventure," Gatomon meowed. The three took off after Ash, their first steps on their adventure being a sprint.

* * *

**To be continued…**

_So the gears begin to get moving along. Ash, Kari, and Ritchie have their heading, Tai, Davis, and the other Digidestined begin their search efforts, and our perpetrator of all this begins to recruit others. What will all this mean in the long run? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to come out, so for now, leave a review, subscribe to get more content, and stay tuned! Ja ne, everyone!_

_Ketchum Kid_


	5. The Will of the Manipulator

_Last chapter, the adventure really began in the Pokemon World. However, hardly any of this chapter is in the Pokemon World. I was actually going to have the next chapter out instead of this one, when I had a stroke of inspiration. The results…are what you are about to read. Enjoy, and I'll see you at the bottom!_

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Will of the Manupulator**

Mars had been rather surprised when she had fallen into the floor of her prison cell, but her present location had given her more shock and confusion as to what the heck this place was than as to why she was even there in the first place. Gone were the prison bars and grey concrete walls that had once kept her trapped, and in were freely floating islands and dark miasma. Plants were growing vertically up from the islands…which was not saying much, since the direction "up" was apparently irrelevant in this world. What looked like a building was standing on an island that was above her, but the building was upside down, and even then Mars couldn't decipher if the building was actually the right way up or not. All around her, plants and buildings were extending in various directions, making the young girl's head spin.

"Where…where am I?" she said aloud.

"**Some say it is the Reverse World, others the Distortion World." **Mars turned around. Walking towards her was a man in his late twenties with natural blue hair and icy blue eyes. He was wearing black rippled pants, a black rippled long-sleeved shirt, and a silver vest with black bands near the bottom and a yellow 'G' on the left chest portion. He smiled, and opened his arms. "However, I prefer to think of it as the stepping stone to the world I wish to create." Mars could barely keep her mouth closed.

"C…Cyrus…" she said breathlessly. "Bu…but how…?"

"How did I survive?" Cyrus stated, in a near-emotionless voice. "That is a question for another time. As for what I am doing, it has been the same thing that I have done since forming Team Galactic, and that is to create a world where I will be its supreme leader!" He paused. "But to do that, I realize that I cannot create and rule the world alone. The task is simply too much for just one person on his own. Even my own survival from the events at Mt. Coronet was thanks to another being…" Mars blankly stared at her former boss. The person who had once selfishly wanted his new world to himself was now saying that it was impossible to work alone.

"Three years ago, when I first created Team Galactic in secret, a sixteen year old girl was one of the grunts that showed up at the first recruitment camp. Two years later, she had risen up to the rank of Commander. Even after I had forsaken everyone for the new world, she still tried to jump into the portal with me." Cyrus walked up to Mars. The red-haired girl remained motionless, as Cyrus moved a lock of her hair. "Certainly, prison is not what suits you the most. You looked much better when you were a commander." Cyrus stepped back. To Mars's surprise, Cyrus kneeled before her, before rising up again. "You were one of my most loyal commanders in Team Galactic, and I ask for your forgiveness. I need you to be my right hand in this task. Together…we will create a new world, separate from the old, and us it to conquer the old. If you accept, I promise the old world as yours, as I have no need for it."

Mars could hardly believe her ears. The man that she had served under, the man that she had run away for, was now asking personally for her help. The young woman began to tear up, before fully crying.

"Y…Yes!" she blurted out. "I will…I will follow you beyond the ends of the earth and help you with your goals! I forgive your actions…and let me be a part of your plans again!" Cyrus smiled. He procured a Pokeball.

"I took the liberty of tracking down your Purugly." He tossed the Pokeball over to Mars, who in her excitement just was able to catch it. "The first task that I must ask of you is to find anyone who would be able to assist us. What has been the fate of Team Galactic?"

"Saturn…he dissolved the team once we were all arrested," Mars explained, regaining her composure. "He said that Team Galactic was finished. He and Jupiter joined me in jail, but were disgusted by the events in Spear Pillar, and want no part of the team anymore." Cyrus frowned.

"I see. What about Charon?"

"We don't know what happened to him," Mars admitted. "He wasn't arrested with the rest of us. I remember hearing about how some of the team had escaped."

"Then he is who you are searching for first. Out of the four of you, he was the only one who was unfazed by the events that transpired at Spear Pillar. He will also be needed for some experiments in the old world." He paused. "Take some time to strengthen you team as well. With no grunts, it will be necessary to have strong Pokemon in order to back up our ideals."

"Y-Yes sir." Mars saluted her leader.

"You have one week, after which I will return you here. Do not worry about returning to where I left you; I will be able to find you wherever you go. I wish you the best of luck." Cyrus snapped his fingers, and a portal instantly appeared under Mars's feet.

"Wah?!" Mars fell into the portal, and disappeared. Less than a second later, the portal closed. Cyrus stared at the portal for a few seconds, and then turned around.

"Truly, she expects me to actually give her something?…that human emotions certainly are ripe for exploiting is why we have strife in our world." Snapping his fingers, a portal appeared in front of him. "Speaking of emotions, I believe it is time to begin pulling on a few of them…" He walked into the portal, and disappeared, leaving the Distortion World empty and desolate, save for a low, distant roar far below the island the two had been on.

* * *

Despite the fact that he was still only a high school student, and was constantly taking online cram courses to prepare for college, Joe Kido still had the time to open up a small medical clinic in the Digital World. Located on File Island, the clinic was in the perfect locale to treat and study Digimon of all levels, as it was the location where deceased Digimon are reborn. The building itself wasn't much – it was made entirely of the digital trees that flourished on the island – giving it the rustic look of an American log cabin. However, in an effort to expand the human knowledge of Digimon, the Japanese government supplied the clinic with enough basic medical materials to ensure a well-stocked supply.

A television was located not far outside of the clinic, perched on an old tree stump. The television began to glow, and a light shot out of the television screen, materializing into the young adult form of Joe Kido. Joe was wearing a white shirt, khaki pants, blue shoes, and a blue blazer. He wore glasses over his blue eyes, and had blue hair that was tied into a short, neat ponytail. A blue briefcase was in his left hand, while a D-3 Digivice, which was grey with a white center, was in his right.

"Well, that was a rough day," Joe sighed. "Three pop quizzes, all in the same class. Good thing I can now take my classes online in the Digital World." He walked up to the clinic. "It's also a good thing all of us got D-3s from Gennai after MaloMyotismon was defeated; I'd hate to bother Davis or TK, given the current state of affairs." When he reached the door of the clinic, he procured a key, and proceeded to open the door. Stepping inside of the clinic, Joe flipped a light switch, and the insides of the empty clinic lit up brightly. The new lighting showcased the inside of the clinic. A small lobby area was in the front, which separated the inside of the clinic. There were two interior examination rooms, two closets, and small office that all branched off of the only hallway in the cabin.

"That's odd," Joe noted. "Gomamon usually is waiting here for me with the lights on." He looked in all the rooms, but found nobody in them. The young adult scratched his head. "I told Gomamon not to go away from the clinic when I'm coming, especially with what happened to Kari and Gatomon last night."

* * *

In reality, Gomamon hadn't gone too far away from the clinic. Just inside the forest boundary, the Digimon was keeping a keen eye on the expansive plains of Primary Village, where thousands of Digi-Eggs sat relatively unprotected. Gomamon had physique akin to a seal, but with three claws on each 'fin', and white fur with purple markings over its head, front fins, and back. A patch of orange hair ran from his forehead to the back of his neck, and two small, flappy ears were on the top of his head.

"Ooh, I know that Joe said to stay inside the clinic, but I just can't sit here and leave these Digi-eggs to be protected by Elecmon alone," Gomamon admitted to himself. He gave another look at field. "Besides, from what I heard, that thing that attacked Kari and Gatomon was preceded by a strange man of sorts. So as long as I keep away from this man, I should be fine, yup yup!"

"**Were you perhaps talking about me?"** Gomamon froze. Slowly turning around, he looked up, and found that his bright green eyes had locked with the icy blue eyes of Cyrus.

"U-Um…no, not at all!" Gomamon fibbed. "I-I was told not to talk to strangers, so how could I possibly be talking about you? Good day!" Gomamon darted around Cyrus, and began to dash away, trying to draw attention away from Primary Village. Cyrus sighed, and pulled out a Pokeball.

"They only delay the inevitable…" he commented. "Weavile, Brick Break!" The Pokeball burst open just behind Gomamon, who turned around to see what it was releasing. However, nothing was behind him. He turned back forward to find that his path was now blocked by the Sharp Claw Pokemon.

"EEP!" The seal Digimon barely dodged Weavile's glowing claws, which were brought down on the ground that Gomamon was previously standing on. The impact created a crater that was several inches deep. "Forget breaking bricks; that move could break me in two!" He began to run again.

"A chase to the river, is it? All you are doing is making my work easier for me. Weavile, give chase! Show no mercy!"

"Weavile!" The Sharp Claw Pokemon broke off in a dash after Gomamon, quickly catching up to the seal Digimon. Taking a leap in the air, the Pokemon crossed its claws in an X fashion, before coming down onto Gomamon, and swiping its claws back across its target's back.

"Waah!" Gomamon was pushed several yards forward, but managed to skid on his fins, and turn around to face Weavile. "You want to get me that bad, then come and get me, you big bully!"

"Vile…Weavile!" Wevile took, and exploded with incredible speed at Gomamon. Before the Sharp Claw Pokemon could score a hit, however, Gomamon ducked to his right, dodging the attack. "Wea?"

"Got ya!" Gomamon was able to make a swipe at Weavile, knocking it into a tree. The Sharp Claw Pokemon struggled to get up from the blow, allowing Gomamon time to escape. The Digimon made a raring go for a river, broke out of the forest, and dove into the water. "Safe at last!" He turned to swim downstream towards Joe's clinic…and came face-to-eye with Gyarados. "Or not!"

"GYOOO!-!" Gyarados quickly flicked its tail, slamming Gomamon with incredible force. The seal Digimon was flung out of the water, and landed on the rocky shore without a care from the sea serpent. He took a few seconds to get back up on his claws.

"Jeez, first I was becoming mincemeat, and now I'm sushi!" Cyrus stepped out of the forest, accompanied by a rather annoyed Weavile. With the two in front of him and Gyarados behind him, Gomamon was now trapped, unable to move without either Pokemon going after him. "A dragon and a small little weasel…so that must mean you're the person that kidnapped Kari and Gatomon last night!"

"Kidnapping is such a harsh word," Cyrus stated. He showed his hands. "I personally never laid a hand on her, so I didn't kidnap her. My Pokemon, however, are of another matter."

"Wea…Weavile!"

"Gyro!"

"Where did you take them!" the seal Digimon demanded. Cyrus chuckled. "W-What's so funny?"

"I would tell you where they are," the Team Galactic leader stated. "But why waste my breath, when I can show you instead?" He snapped his fingers together.

* * *

Many hours had passed since the Digidestined who went to the Digital World to rescue Kari and Gatomon had returned, and Izzy was now at his house, furiously typing in line after line of code into his laptop. By his side was a rather large red ladybug Digimon, with two clawed arms and four legs. The Digimon had large, green eyes and two yellow antennae reaching out from his head. The wings of the Digimon were covered with grey spines.

Izzy let up off of the keypad, and wiped a drip of sweat from his brow. "Phew…"

"So is that it, Izzy?" the Digimon asked, its mouth never moving. "You've been at this ever since you came back from the computer room." The Digimon had a male voice.

"I think so, Tentomon," the red-haired teen stated. "All the tracking cookies are set, and everything seem to be in place, but you can never be too sure; we've never attempted an automatic scanning and tracking alert program over the entire Digital World before."

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Tentomon said. "We have to do this, for Kari and Gatomon." Izzy nodded. He typed in a few more lines of code, and pressed the enter key. A map of the File Island popped up, with minor details put in on the map.

"It should be up and running now," Izzy stated. "Let me just run a test using the sample we saved." He went and retrieved the sample's data. A few seconds later, a fast beeping noise emanated from the computer. On the map of File Island, a red dot appeared beside a river near Primary Village.

"Amazing!" Tentomon exclaimed. "The test worked! Izzy, you never cease to amaze me!" Izzy was not congratulating himself. Instead, a look of terror was on his face, and his gaze was fixated on the dot on the screen. "Um...it did work, didn't it?"

"Tentomon…I haven't uploaded the sample of the creature for the test…" Tentomon stopped.

"Wait, you didn't?...Then that means it's the real thing!"

"The creature's near Primary Village!" Izzy stated. "Elecmon and the baby Digimon are in danger!" Just then, the dot disappeared. "Prodigious! It disappeared!"

"Looks like the big bad monster was only making a cameo appearance," Tentomon stated. "Perhaps it was simply here for a little snack?" Izzy furrowed his brow.

"I think that was exactly what it was here for, Tentomon," Izzy presumed. "I think another one of us just disappeared."

* * *

"Gomamon? Gomamon?" Joe hurried up the river that ran near his clinic. "Gomamon, if you're there, answer me!" Of course, there was no answer. "Come on, Gomamon, I told you to wait at the clinic because it's dangerous out here. You don't want to be caught by the - !"

"**GIYOOOO!" **Joe was knocked off his feet, as a terrifying roar echoed throughout the air. It felt as if the entire island had shaken to its very core. Several winged Digimon took off into the sky, surprised at the sudden outburst.

"What…what was that?" Joe wondered, getting on his feet. Then, he remembered his partner. "Gomamon!" The Digidestined took off in a sprint towards the noise, not caring about the prospects of his own safety. Minutes passed by like hours, as Joe ran down the river as fast as he could.

'_That wasn't Gomamon, but I can bet that Gomamon was there,'_ he thought. _'I need to make sure he's alright! I need to help him! I am his Digidestined partner, and I will not let him down!'_ He rounded a bend, and came across what looked to be a purpley, inky substance on some of the rocks. The Digidestined slowed down, and stopped to see what the substance was.

"What is this?" he wondered. "I've never seen this before, on Earth or in the Digital World." Joe took out a tongue depressor from his pocket, and used it to poke the substance. Almost instantly, the substance broke into two separate puddles, and a black smoke came out of where the break had been made. Joe instantly dropped the tongue depressor and covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve, but that did not stop him from breathing some of the smoke in. "Cough! It smells like car exhaust and garbage!"

**!BEEP! !BEEP!**

"My Digivice!" Joe reached for his Digivice, and brought it out. Pressing a few buttons, the screen displayed Izzy and Tentomon. "Izzy, Tentomon, what's the matter?"

"_What's the matter?"_ Tentomon repeated, a little anxiety apparent in his voice. _"That thing that kidnapped Kari and Gatomon reappeared, that's the matter!_"

"_One of us might have been kidnapped again," _explained Izzy. _"But I want to check everyone off the list. Thank goodness you're talking to us, though; you were the only human on File Island. Can you round up Gomamon and the other Digimon from our adventure so we can do a head count?"_

Joe had heard nothing that Izzy had said. As soon as he heard that the creature that had kidnapped Kari and Gatomon had returned, his eyes had widened in realization. Gomamon's disappearance, the loud roar he had heard, the inky substance that belched out horribly-smelling gas…it all came together. Thr Digivice fell out of his hand, clattering to the ground. A tear rolled down one cheek, followed by another on the opposite cheek, then more on both. Joe, the reliable, honest, and practical Digidestined, fell to his knees and cried, not hearing the worried concerns of Izzy and Tentomon from his Digivice.

"You don't need to count heads, Izzy," Joe managed to say through his tears. "It's Gomamon…Gomanon's the one who's been taken this time!"

* * *

Ash, Kari, and Ritchie had reached a small lake on their journey to the Ruins of Alph. The lake had been formed by a natural dam of rock and debris from a flood long ago, in an area that had been dug out for a small ancient stone shrine. A small stream ran through the shrine, and was blocked by the dam. Over the years, the water had risen until it could flow again, creating a small lake. All that was visible of the shrine above water was a flat, circular stone that was placed on top of the shrine, and part of the shrine that held it up.

"…at least, that's what the PokeGear says," Ritchie finished, and put the device away in his pocket.

"So humans here carved out a shrine out of the ground?" Gatomon pondered. "Wouldn't it be easier to simply build a shrine on top of the ground?"

"It would," Kari acknowledged. "But we humans can be strange creatures." Ash and Pikachu looked over the lake.

"I remember this place," the raven haired trainer recalled. "Right as we entered the Johto region, we got lost in a forest, and stumbled on this lake. On the top of that rock there," he pointed to the shrine that was sticking out of the water, "was Suicune."

"No way!" Ritchie exclaimed. "You met Suicune?"

"We met it a few times, actually," Ash admitted. Ritchie placed a hand on his head, causing Sparky to hop to his trainer's shoulder.

"With how much you run into legendary Pokemon, Ash, I don't think either myself or Sparky are the least bit surprised."

"Chu Pika!" Sparky agreed.

"Is Suicune a rare Pokemon?" Kari asked, turning to the Pokemon Trainer.

"You bet it is," Ritchie replied. "So rare, in fact, hardly anyone has claimed to have seen it before. It's to the level of being in legends and fables as a mythical being."

"Mythical, huh?" Gatomon said, eying the rock in the lake. "Well, it couldn't have been too big. There would be no way it could take on one of the Sovereigns in battle." Kari rolled her eyes.

"Don't judge a book by its cover, Gatomon," the brunette reminded her. "If all our enemies did that to us, they'd be bowled over by your strength."

"True," Gatomon admitted. Just then, a loud plop was heard at the source of the lake.

"What was that?" asked Ritchie. Pikachu and Sparky were the first to look in the direction of the source. Floating on the surface, hugging the shoreline, was a mass of white and purple fur, barely moving at all.

"Pika! Pika Pi!" Everyone looked in the direction of the source, and saw the creature in the water.

"What Pokemon's that?" Kari wondered. Ash frowned.

"I'm not sure, but it looks like it's in serious trouble!" He and Ritchie ran over to the shoreline to try and pull it out. Kari, Gatomon, Pikachu, and Sparky followed after them.

"Something feels oddly familiar about that creature," Gatomon murmured, but it was too soft for Kari to hear. Ash was the one who leaned in to grab the creature.

"Hang on, I've got you-woah, wah!" Unfortunately, he lost his balance, and fell in the lake headfirst.

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"Woah, are you okay Ash?" Ritchie asked when Ash finally surfaced.

"I'm fine," the Pokemon Trainer stated, a little wet for wear. "But this Pokemon isn't. And it's nothing like I've ever seen!" He sloshed out of the lake, holding the creature. Kari and Gatomon gasped at the full sight of the creature.

"That isn't a Pokemon, Ash!" Kari exclaimed. "It's a Digimon!"

"I knew you looked familiar, Gomamon!" Gatomon said, identifying the Digimon.

"A Digimon?!" Ash and Ritchie said, confused and surprised at the same time. Gomamon was not in the best of conditions. His fur was coated in scratches and bruises, apparently from a rather large struggle that had occurred. He was barely conscious, and just managed to open his eyes.

"Kari…Gatomon…you're…alive…?"

"Yes!" Kari stated. "But what are you doing here, and why are you so badly injured?"

"I…I ran into the…person…that got…got you…two…..I tried…to escape….but he…he called upon….strange Digimon….especially….that thing…..it dragged me….into a dark….abyss…."

"Giratina," Ritchie said darkly. "That Digimon wasn't a Digimon; it was a living thing." Gomamon looked at Ritchie.

"I don't…care if it….was calamari….it was a living nightmare….to…UGH!" The Seal Digimon winced in pain.

"Easy, Gomamon!" Gatomon urged. "We get what happened. Just stay easy for now."

"We need to heal Gomamon, and fast!" Kari stated. Ash and Ritchie looked at each other.

"Do you think Professor Elm has the resources?" Ash asked.

"I don't know, but we can't risk the Pokemon Center," Ritchie said. "Too many eyes would make Gatomon and Gomamon instant research subjects, or worse, Pokemon for a daring trainer to try and catch."

"Another Professor friend?" Kari wondered. The two trainers nodded.

"Professor Elm is the leading scientist of Pokemon Breeding and Evolution in the Johto Region, and is an understudy of Professor Oak," explained Ritchie. "He'll have the equipment that can help Gomamon's wounds out better than what we can provide."

"If we hurry, we can get to his lab from here in about fifteen minutes or so," continued Ash.

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Gatomon wondered. "Let's go before Gomamon dies and we find out whether he can go back to Primary Village from here to be reborn or not!" Everyone nodded. Kari took Gomamon from Ash, and carefully held him in her hands. The group then took off towards the setting sun, towards Professor Elm's Lab.

Watching them from the opposite bank had been a purple-haired male teen. He was wearing a dark blue unzipped jacket that had black sleeves over a grey t-shirt, grey cargo pants, and blue running shoes. His black eyes shot out in the direction of where Ash, Ritchie, and Kari had run off to.

"So Ash has already roped himself into another adventure," the teen murmured. "How pathetic…"

* * *

_So despite being worse for wear, Gomamon is the newest traveling member for Ash, Kari, and company. However, it is at the expense of another perceived casualty at the hands of Cyrus. What will the reaction in the Digital World be? What are Cyrus's bold plans for the Digital World? And who is the mysterious person watching Ash the others? That's for the future to say, so until the next chapter, review, subscribe, and stay tuned. Ja ne, everyone!_

_Ketchum Kid_


End file.
